Meal Prep 101: Plan a Healthy Week in Under Two Hours

Rather than cooking complete meals, prep components that combine flexibly:

Proteins (cook 2–3 varieties): baked chicken, hard-boiled eggs, cooked lentils or chickpeas — choosing anti-inflammatory ingredients like salmon or lentils maximises the health return on your prep time

Carbohydrates (cook 1–2 varieties): brown rice or quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes

Vegetables (prep 3–4 varieties): roasted broccoli, peppers, washed salad greens, steamed green beans

These components assemble into different meals throughout the week.

0:00–0:10: Plan the week and write your shopping list. 0:10–0:25: Preheat oven. Chop vegetables. Start rice or quinoa. 0:25–0:55: Roast vegetables. Bake chicken or cook protein. Boil eggs. 0:55–1:20: Portion snacks. Prepare salad components. Make one sauce. 1:20–1:30: Portion and store in labelled containers.

Total active time: approximately 60 minutes.

The same protein and grain becomes entirely different meals with different sauces:

Basic tahini: 3 tbsp tahini + 2 tbsp lemon juice + 1 garlic clove + 3 tbsp water + salt

Simple vinaigrette: 3 parts olive oil + 1 part apple cider vinegar + 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Yogurt-herb: Greek yogurt + cucumber + garlic + dill + lemon

Make 2 sauces per week and your meals never feel repetitive.

• Overcomplicating the menu — start with 2 proteins, 1 grain, and 3 vegetables
• Making complete meals instead of flexible components
• Skipping the planning step — 10 minutes of planning saves 45 minutes of waste. For inspiration on healthy snacks to prep, see our healthy snacking guide.
• Not labelling containers with the date prepared
• Trying to prep everything at once — start with just breakfast and snacks

Start smaller than you think. Pair this habit with mindful eating practices so the meals you prep are consumed with full attention, not on autopilot.

Week 1: Just cook a big batch of quinoa on Sunday Week 2: Add one baked protein Week 3: Add roasted vegetables Week 4: Prep all three + snacks

After 4–6 weeks it becomes the default Sunday rhythm — no more thinking required.